The Spiritualist newspaper > No.254, July 6th 1877

July G, 1877. T II32 SPIRITUALIST. 0
heard—the three most important senses being brought into play ; and to
show that my hearing the writing and feeling the vibration were not
imagination, on cutting loose the two slates, I found written, “ Lilly’s
love. Died Feb. 4.” This was the name of my little girl, whom I lost
at the Cape just before I left, and who communicated with us almost
instantly after her dissolution, through my own wife, and promised to
give us tests whilst in England, if possible. I repeated a few verses of
some poetry we received through a sister of mine from this same
" Lilly,” and at this the medium said, “ Yes, it was sent twenty-four
hours after her death—was given through a lady—and that was her
aunt.” This answer was correct to the letter, and at once convinced
me my child had fulfilled her promise, viz., to give me tests whilst in
England. (I had three or four other good tests from her and my other
friends, whilst in London.)
After this, I asked her to materialise, and, in order to obtain a better
view, was told by the medium, who was entranced, to turn down the gas
to make “darkness visible.” We did so, but could see, feel, and hear the
medium, who sat next me. I had hold of both his hands. I then saw
a little white form appear in front of my face, and three or four feet off,
but could not recognise the features. She had no power to articulate,
but took a small bell, at my request, out of my hand, to convince me
I was not beholding a phantom whose image was an emanation from
my own not excited, but calm, mind. The image I saw was no
phantom, but had the attributes and functions of a human being. My
little girl was quite capable of answering me and doing what I asked
her, had she been in the flesh. I asked the figure to touch me with its
hand, which it did, and to ring the bell three times if it were my Lilly.
This was done at once, and after a few minutes I asked her to hand me
the bell again. From a spiritual and philosophical point of view she
could not approach near enough to me, owing to the emanations
eliminated from my body, causing a disintegrating action on the highly
sensitive materialised figure. After this I had some questions
answered by signals given, by the table (about ninety lbs. in weight)
rising up three times for “ yes,” and once for “ no.” Each time it rose
at least ten or twelve inches from the ground in good light, as I had
just before turned up the gas.
Dr. Brown remarked that on the previous night they had had a
sitting, and he actually saw and heard the piano playing without mortal
contact, in his own parlour. I at once suggested that Samuel, one of
Dr. Monck’s old earth friends, and now his familiar spirit, would give
us the same evidence. He at once said he would see if it was light
enough to try, and went to the door, and found it quite light. He
went upstairs, and we followed him into Dr. Brown’s private parlour.
I was asked to take off the medium’s boots, as they might injure the
piano. The medium having been requested to sit on top of it, he sat
down, just as one might sit down on the floor, having both legs parallel
with each each other, the lid of the piano being then down. We all
heard it sound, but to make doubly sure I asked leave to open the
cover, so that I might see, hear, and feel, and all at once I opened it,
and there saw the notes move, and heard the sound. I also remarked
the synchronous action between the movement of the keys and the
vibration of the strings which were also in accordance with the note
struck. If a C or any other note moved I heard the proper sound, bass
or treble. Not to leave one test out, I asked to feel the force moving
the notes, and did so ; so did my friend. I had hold of the medium’s
feet, and my friend both his hands, so that no one could or can say I
did not take every precaution. I then suggested that Samuel might
like a tune and a song, and saw the medium laugh, and say “ Yes.” I
at once loosed the medium, and began singing a favourite and pathetic
song, playing my own piano accompaniment, and, before I had been at
it thirty seconds, the piano began to play and quite put me out of time
and tune, Samuel laughing all the time through his medium.
Now, Mr. Editor, if this is not evidence, then nothing ever will be.
The facts were witnessed by three gentlemen, a lady (Mrs. Brown), and
her daughter. I have the “ direct slate writing ” with the seals intact,
as vouchers that it is no fancy, on my part. We saw, felt, and heard the
'phenomena, and noticed the synchronous action of the notes struck
and sounds heard—all, mind, in good daylight. We afterwards ex¬
amined the piano, to make sure there was nothing automatic like Mr.
Maskelyne’s Psycho or Zoe, both marvellous pieces of mechanism, but
done by mechanical and other aids.
> I am well known as an advanced Spiritualist, but that does not alter
my position in regard to any medium or friend, as I always use my own
judgment and take what precautions I think the exigencies of the case
require, and am quite as capable (I flatter myself) as a Professor This
or Professor That, or Dr. Lankester or any other living man, of knowing
what is genuine, or appears not to be so. I became a Spiritualist
through investigations carried on at my own house, in Cape Town, South
Africa, without any public medium (there being none in Africa), but
through the mediumship of relatives, who I developed myself, and then
obtained phenomena which were inexplicable to all but myself and a
few others, who were determined to find the truth out for ourselves, or
explode the “great delusion.” I have read in many issues of your
paper things quite as astounding, but not under more favourable
conditions for arriving at a definite conclusion; so can say that,
phenomenally at least, Spiritualism, so-called, has been proved, for I
maintain, that one fact proved beyond a doubt proves the thing for
ever, as one fact is as good as a million.
Berks T. Hutchinson (of Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope).
•Nowcastle-on-Tyne, June 28th, 1877.
The old king of Gaboon, in Africa, is dead, at the age of nearly one
hundred. His eldest son, Adaube, at once, on succeeding him, cashiered
the hundred women of his father’s harem, liberating fifty slaves, and
abolishing the sacrifice of human beings at religious rites.
I THE THREE DOCTORS OF MACARTHY’S ISLAND.
PROM “ SAVAGE AFRICA,” BY THE LATE W. WINWOOD READE.
Macarthy’s Island, in the River Gambia, is situated
about a hundred and eighty miles from the sea. It is six
miles long, by two broad. There are two factories there, a
village of liberated Africans, and a garrison of forty men,
one subaltern, and two surgeons.
In the dry season this island presents an agreeable aspect,
and is not unhealthy. But before the rains set in, the two
hot months (May and dune) occur. I was there in January,
and although I had passed days under the line in an open
boat without awning or umbrella, it was there that I suffered
from heat for the first time.
What the heat of the hot months may be I cannot under¬
stand. A surgeon, who had travelled a great deal, told me
that it possessed a close stifling character which the ther-
| mometer could not express, and that it was of a different
| kind from those which he had exprienced in Australia and
! the two Indies.
It must be remembered, too, that they have not the
| u doctor,” as the sea-breeze has been well called. It is this
j sea-breeze which, blowing at noon and eve, preserves the
| vigour and the lives of the residents upon the coast.
At the commencement of the rainy season of 1860, Mr.
Beale, a staff assistant-surgeon, was seized with malarious
fever. The Dover arrived soon afterwards, bringing a Mr.
Campbell to relieve him. The relief came too late. Mr.
Beale was taken on board the Dover, shook hands with the
I captain on deck, went below, and expired almost im-
| mediately.
Mr. Trestrail, his colleague, sat down to write out the case.
| It is still preserved in the medical report-book at the sur-
! geons’ quarters. Towards the end the handwriting changes
| its character, becomes uneven, and sometimes scarcely
j legible. A few hours afterwards Trestrail was a corpse.
| The two surgeons were buried together.
Mr. Campbell wrote out a report of Mr. Trestrail’s case.
I He slept alone in the surgeons’ quarters, in the same bed in
| which the two others had died.
A palisade was being erected around their grave.
Mr. Savage is a mulatto trader on the island. A few
I j days afterwards Campbell came to him and asked him to give
! | him a bed. Savage complied with his request.
“ Don’t you like your quarters ? ” he said.
No,” replied Campbell. 111 have seen Beale. And
| Savage,” he added, “ I shall never see my poor wife and
| children any more.”
1- As the palisade round the grave was finished Dr. Camp-
! bell also died. He was buried outside it. No importance
| was attached to his words, I have seen Beale. It was sup-
| posed at the time that it was merely a dream of which he
| had spoken. The words themselves would have been quite
| forgotten, had it not been for that which afterwards
j occurred.
The commandant’s quarters, a detached building, stands
| about fifteen yards from the surgeons’ quarters, also a de-
I j tached building. A sentry is stationed over each. Captain
j j Wilcox and Dr. Bradshaw were sitting one evening in the
j j piazza of the commandant’s quarters, when they heard a
by shriek from the direction of the other building. A few
| | moments afterwards a soldier livid with fright and without
| j his musket, rushed into the piazza. Captain Wilcox, sup-
| | posing that he was drunk, put him under arrest,
i | The next morning, being examined, he declared that
i I while on guard at the surgeon’s quarters a gentleman dressed
HI in black, had come towards him. He had never seen him
M before. He challenged him, and received no answer. The
| I gentleman continued till he was close to him. He (the
I I sentry) threatened to run him through if he did not answer
I i the challenge. Receiving no answer he thrust, and saw the
| | bayonet pass through the body. The figure gibbered at him,
||| and turned away. It was then that he had shrieked, dropped
I | his musket and run away. Examined by Dr. Bradshaw he
| j described the figure closely; the face, height, and dress
| I tallied precisely with those of Dr. Beale, whom the sentinel
ij| had never seen.
| | Doctors Bradshaw and Hind slept in the building in
ill separate rooms. They heard noises, the cause of which they